CELEBRATING + CONNECTING COMMUNITY MUSIC VENUES.
Collective Futures is a one-day symposium designed to celebrate and explore Community Music Venues and the role they play in local neighbourhoods across the UK. Led by Future Yard and Sister Midnight, it is an opportunity to understand how Community Music Venues are structured, their financial models and the impact they have in communities.
Collective Futures is here to bring together current and ‘would-be’ Community Music Venues from across the UK in a solidarity network, to collaborate, share knowledge and approaches. It is for those working in and supporting communities, to understand the role Community Music Venues play and the impact they can have in towns and cities. It is for those who love live music and are passionate about ensuring we have thriving, sustainable music venues across the UK.
The first Collective Futures symposium, taking place at Future Yard in Birkenhead, will feature contributors from organisations such as Music Venue Trust, Independent Venue Week, Arts Council England, Band On The Wall, Nesta, Youth Music, Unconvention, Regenda, Livv Investment, The Community Shares Company, Magenta and Kindred. Plus new additions: Plunkett Foundation, Crowdfunder and Co-Operative UK. Across a number of discussions and workshops, the symposium will focus on key aspects of what makes a Community Music Venue: community-led programming, building scenes, creating (and measuring) meaningful community engagement, placemaking – and the various funding models needed to achieve these goals.
The daytime symposium will be followed by an evening show, headed up by Goat Girl. The award-winning quartet graduated through the grassroots open mic and music scene of South London, making particular use of the Brixton Windmill as a sounding board. Goat Girl – with two albums on legendary British label Rough Trade under their belts – are closely aligned with Sister Midnight (guitarist Lottie Pendlebury is a director of Sister Midnight), making them the perfect artists to round off this first Collective Futures event. The show will also feature support from Merseyside-based artists Trout (groove-laden angsty grunge) and Thalia’s Grace (distortion-heavy alt. rock). This show is a fundraiser for Future Yard’s Neighbourhood Fund, providing free tickets and access to music opportunities to the immediate community around Future Yard in Birkenhead.